Etihad Airways check on biofuel progress at Masdar

Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, and Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, joined Scott Fancher, Boeing Senior Vice President, at the integrated seawater and agriculture system facility within Masdar City to check on the project’s progress this week.

The facility is a world first, demonstrating the use of seawater and natural fertiliser from aquaculture to grow plant biomass which can be converted into aviation fuel. It is the flagship project of the ‘Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium’ led by the Masdar Institute with members including Etihad Airways, Boeing, Takreer, GE and Safran.

The biomass will be harvested in June and the oil extracted from the seeds. The plan is to have this oil refined to jet fuel and used on an Etihad Airways flight.